1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid supply system and a liquid supply method for supplying a liquid such as organic or inorganic chemicals or the like used for semiconductor processing, and more particularly to a liquid supply system and a liquid supply method for supplying a liquid, from which particles have been removed, to the use points of semiconductor processing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A clean environment without any dust is required in semiconductor processing technologies for LSI, VLSI or the like. It is extremely undesirable that any particles are mixed in a cleaning liquid such as organic or inorganic chemicals for rinsing in order to clean semiconductors. Thus, usually, a cleaning liquid of chemicals and the like is subject to a filtering process with a filter after industrially produced, and then supplied for use.
However, even if such a filtering process is carried out, particles or inorganic dust generated from materials of piping or reservoirs are mixed in the liquid, while the liquid is transferred from the producing point to actual use points through the piping or while it is temporarily reserved in the reservoirs. Consequently, the density of particles in the liquid will be higher when the liquid is actually used at the use points than just after it was produced. If the liquid is used with the high density of particles, the quality of the electronic parts (e.g. semiconductors), namely products, may be deteriorated. Accordingly, another particle removing process is required just prior to the actual use of the cleaning liquid, but any systems or methods to remove particles from the liquid at high efficiency are not conventionally known, which are desired to be developed.